This is a terrible thing to read, especially considering that we live in a country where slacking seems to be the thing to do (see mediocre reality stars, internet celebrities, etc). Anyway…

Viktor Berlyavsky, a Department of Environmental Protection project manager, was charged with “misconduct” for working too long. Berlyavsky says he works so hard because his normal seven-hour workday isn’t enough time to meet his supervisor’s deadlines and never imagined that he’d get in trouble for it.

But on six days between March and May of last year, Berlyavsky stayed beyond his shift — ignoring orders from his boss to leave the workplace at closing time.

Berlyavsky never put in for overtime or comp time. He says he needed to work longer to finish his assignments and to complete some union-related tasks.

Even so, officials brought him up on insubordination charges and sought an astonishing 74-day suspension as punishment.

An administrative-law judge pointed out that no one else at DEP had ever faced such bizarre charges, but he still ruled that Berlyavsky disobeyed direct orders. So he recommended suspension — for a single day.

“The facts found here show that respondent was insubordinate in twice disobeying an order to leave work after seven hours,” Judge John Spooner said in his decision. “At the same time, the facts show several additional mitigating circumstances, all of which must be weighed in determining a penalty.”

Spooner, in his decision, said there was no evidence that the leave-on-time directive “served any specific agency policy.” He called the misconduct “minor” in nature and said “only a minimal penalty is warranted.”

Still, Berlyavsky — who has worked for the agency 12 years but is a non-managerial worker, earning about $59,000 in 2012 — called the directive “humiliating and unfair.” Co-workers of his who have managerial titles have frequently worked longer than seven hours in order to complete their duties.

Ain’t that some ungrateful ish! I hope this man finds a new and better job where his time will be respected and appreciated.